Following Blondie
by sh4mesh4me
Summary: Wind Waker. Link is missing, Tetra hates townspeople, and Aryll can't swim. I wanted to start this up again but I've forgotten the plot. Ok not really. I actually have an amazing memory, but not that amazing. Am having trouble working through some of it
1. Setting Sail

**Following Blondie **

Chapter One: Setting Sail

The breeze ruffled Link's hair as the pirate ship set sail.

He had, quite literally, only _just_ beaten Ganondorf that very day, and already his friends were leaving him.

He understood that they were pirates, and had places to go, people to see, but couldn't he have spent a _little_ more time with them? Just a day? Was one night too much to ask to say his farewells?

Link suddenly missed Tetra, and Niko, and Gonzo, and all the rest so much it almost hurt.

He wondered, not for the first time, if maybe his decision to stay had been too hasty. He quickly wiped the notion from his mind, though, as he had previously, knowing that he needed to stay behind to protect his sister and grandma. His family was more important than adventure.

He raised his hand to wave, before letting it drop. He could almost see Tetra's smirk and hear her say, _'Cut the drama, kid.'_ Besides, they wouldn't be able to see him anyway. They were too far away.

Link trudged back towards his grandmother's house with a heavy heart and dry eyes, unaware that watching through a telescope atop the crows nest of a pirate ship, a blonde girl watched him drag his feet across the shore and wondered why he hadn't waved good-bye.

* * *

Aryll was trying to catch a crab.

She'd been trying to grab one of the nasty little critters all afternoon, since Grandma had said that she'd never eaten one the night before. Aryll wanted to surprise her.

Spying a purple-and-red specimen, Aryll dove into the coarse sand, clamping her hands firmly around the shell.

She let out a triumphant shout of glee. "Haha! Gotcha, you little sucker!"

Her giggles, however, were cut short when she saw a speck on the horizon. The speck had a mast, and a mainsail, and looked suspiciously as though it were packed with…

"Pirates!" Aryll whispered in disbelief, as fear flooded through her body. She had not seen pirates since that day, back when she was just six, when her big brother's friends had set off for uncharted land…

Quickly whipping out her telescope, Aryll peered through it, trying to discern whether she should jump for joy or run through the village like a maniac to warn everyone that they were under attack.

And jump for joy it was. Aryll caught a shock of yellow hair reflected in the sun, crowning a girl near the front of the ship who was yelling orders to her subordinates.

"Tetra!" Aryll whooped, thinking that this was turning out to be a really great day. Then she realized with dismay that she'd dropped the crab in her excitement over the pirates.

"Oh, foo!"

* * *

Five minutes later, Aryll was joined by the rest of the tiny island's population as they greeted their old visitors.

Aryll waited anxiously for her old pirate rescuer to disembark, wanting to see her old friend as much as she wanted to see her brother again.

"Tetra!" she exclaimed for the second time that day, running across the beach, kicking sand left and right (and into the faces of other island denizens). Upon reaching the older girl, Aryll lunged forward to grab the pirate captain around the waist in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey hey hey!" Tetra protested, holding up her hands in refusal to return the hug. She smiled at the little girl's eagerness, though, and finally patted Aryll's yellow hair before gently prying her away.

"So!" Aryll began, hopping from foot to foot in happiness, "What's being going on lately? I mean, long time, no see! Where've you been? Why'd you come back after all this time, huh? Wha—"

Tetra laughed, placing a hand over the other girl's mouth. "One question at a time! Anyway, nothing really exciting's been happening lately, except, well…there have been an unbelievable amount of storms and tornadoes around lately. We can hardly sail anywhere anymore."

"Oh, wow," Aryll said as Tetra's hand dropped away. "That's gotta be tough. It's been pretty calm around here. Are you here to stay somewhere safe for a while?"

Sensing the younger girl's hopefulness, Tetra was hesitant to crush it. But she finally admitted, "Actually, we're here to see your brother… Is he around?" Tetra missed the smile slipping from Aryll's face as she claimed, half-joking, "He has got to own up to all these tornados sometime, after all."

Aryll stared at her. Tetra wondered what was wrong.

"What's the matter?" she asked sincerely.

Aryll shook her head. "I just…I don't understand. What do you mean, 'is he around?' I…thought he was with you."

Tetra raised an eyebrow. "Why would he be with us?"

Aryll, very confused and worried by Tetra's question, explained, "Because about a little over a year ago he left, and no one's had any word from him since. We all figured he found you guys and couldn't send any letters because you don't dock very often."

Tetra frowned. This was not good.

Aryll looked expectantly up at the taller girl, nervous. "Are you sure you didn't even _see_ him…once?" she asked hopefully.

Tetra shook her head. "Sorry kid, I haven't. But don't worry. We're going to find him." She said the last part to her crew, and the other pirates quickly began scrambling to get the ship ready to leave.

"You're leaving?" Aryll asked in disbelief, watching the pirates rigging up the sails and yanking on pulleys. "Already?"

Tetra expression was businesslike and serious. "Well, yeah. There's no point in staying…we can't exactly get what we're looking for here."

Not missing the hurt look on Aryll's childish face, Tetra quickly added, "But don't worry! As soon as we find your brother, we'll come back to visit. I promise."

This seemed to cheer Aryll, as her mouth turned up a bit at the corners, but faltered as she remembered her missing brother.

She wondered where he was, and if he was cold or had a place to sleep, or food to eat. Aryll imagined him in his tiny boat, rocked by the waves with him clinging precariously to it, trying desperately to balance while getting soaked to the bone.

Then she imagined him sneeze and snapped out of her daze.

"Oh, Tetra…" Aryll pleaded, "Please bring him back. He's the best brother anyone could ask for."

Not willing to acknowledge that she was touched by the innocent sweetness of the other girl's plea, Tetra nodded and grinned.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Aryll. Your brother is as good as here!"

And on that note, Tetra turned toward the gangway and clambered up onto her boat, cutting her second visit in five years nearly as short as the previous one.

The other villagers all cleared off as the boat sailed away, a little put-out at the shortness of the whole event. Outset was so small, practically nothing ever actually _happened_.

Aryll stayed outside, though. She watched the boat fade into the distance, and slight zephyr swept past her, reminding her with a pang of her brother.

"Oh, Link…" Aryll whispered to the waves as she started to cry.


	2. Birthday Boy

**Following Blondie**

**Chapter Two: Birthday Boy**

When Aryll came in for dinner, she did not tell her grandmother what Tetra had said. Her grandma was perfectly content thinking that Link was sailing around having wonderful adventures with a whole gang of pirates to make sure he didn't hurt himself. She didn't need to worry over her only grandson when there was nothing she could do _but_ worry.

When Aryll came in for dinner, she did not tell her grandmother what Tetra had said. Her grandma was perfectly content thinking that Link was sailing around having wonderful adventures with a whole gang of pirates to make sure he didn't hurt himself. She didn't need to worry over her only grandson when there was nothing she could do worry. 

Aryll choked down her meal, not really tasting it. Then she went to bed early, and when Grandma asked her what was wrong she said she had a little bit of a stomach ache. It wasn't entirely untrue. Aryll had felt uneasy and a little nauseas since Tetra's visit.

She went to bed feeling guilty that now her grandma thought it was her fault that Aryll felt sick.

That night Aryll had a dream about the day Link left.

She tossed and turned under her blankets, as her mind filled with images of her brother…

* * *

Aryll heard Link get up in the middle of the night. She wondered where he could be going so late, and her child's curiosity overcame her as she slipped out of bed to follow him.

Link had absentmindedly left the door ajar when he left. Aryll frowned. Link was normally so paranoid about closing and locking the doors and windows shut tight every night. He said he was scared something would come and take her away.

He said, when Aryll pointed out that he was a hero and could save her, and that Grandma was always around to watch her, that he didn't care, and that the doors were the first line of defense and would remain locked whenever someone was not outside.

Aryll slipped through the open door, grateful she didn't have to worry about the noise alerting Link, but still unsettled. She knew he must have been really distracted to have done that…

She padded across tufts of grass in bare feet, squinting through the darkness to see Link bending over his boat.

At this point, Aryll panicked. She may have only been ten, but she was not stupid. Link wouldn't fuss around with his boat unless he was going somewhere.

Aryll sprinted towards him. His back was turned, so when she hugged (tackled) him from behind, locking her arms around his waist, he fell over into the sand in surprise. He realized it was his sister who had attacked him a second before he unsheathed his sword with the intention to cut down the offending ChuChu.

"Aryll, get off," he grunted, trying to shove his sister away. She held on tight, burying her face into his shirt.

A muffled 'no' vibrated across Link's back. Aggravated, he twisted around so that he was facing Aryll. He then sat up, pushing the small girl onto the sand. Her face was smushed into the cloth covering his stomach.

"Why are you doing this, Aryll? You're supposed to be asleep."

Aryll lifted her face, tilting it upward to Link's. "So are you," she accused.

"That's not what I meant," Link muttered, trying, to no avail, to undo Aryll's vice-like grip. He knew he could get her off if he really wanted to, but he, unlike most siblings, made it a point to never resort to any kind of violence when it came to his sister.

"Aryll, please…" Link intoned, hoping she would let go if he explained what he was doing out so late, "I have to go."

"Why?" Aryll demanded, tightening her arms around him. "I don't want you to go. What if you don't come back? It's so dark, what if a monster comes?"

"Aryll, I can't breathe," Link muttered. Aryll's arms loosened around him, and Link assured her, with a grin, that he thought he could handle one or two monsters.

"Where are you going?" Aryll asked, finally sliding away from her brother and grabbing his hand as he stood and tugged her up after him.

"I need to find the pirates."

Aryll's eyebrows furrowed. "The pirates? But…what for? Aren't you happy here?"

Link closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"Yes Aryll, I am happy here. But I'm bored, too, and I feel…I don't know…useless. I feel like I don't need to protect you two anymore. There are no more monsters on this island, and now that Ganon is gone, I don't think there will be any more."

"But why the pi—" Link held up a hand to silence his sister's interruption.

"I've been having this weird feeling lately…like I need to get out there. I can't explain it…it's like something's…calling…me…" Link trailed off, staring, transfixed, at the back of his hand. Aryll could see the faint outline of the Triforce, with the bottom right triangle outlined a little darker than the others.

"I think it's another piece of the Triforce calling me. I think…Tetra might be calling me."

"Oh…" Aryll said. "Does…does it have to be today? Your fifteenth birthday is tomorrow. Grandma will be so sad that you're gone…"

"Yes, Aryll, it's got to be tomorrow. I'm allowed to sleep late on my birthday. They'll all think I've gone to sleep on the Lookout. They won't know I'm gone until they send you to find me… I'm counting on you to buy some time for me to get far enough away…"

The thought of her big brother needing her to stall so he could leave her far, far away was immensely saddening to Aryll, and it showed on her face.

Link looked down at his little sister. "Hey, cheer up. I'll be back before you know it. I just need to find out what Tetra wants, and then I'll be right back. I promise."

Aryll's voice was hopeful. "Really? You promise? You pinky swear?"

Link indulged in the ritual, locking pinkies with his sister. "Yeah, I promise."

Aryll smiled for a second, then sobered, saying, "…I'll miss you."

Link ruffled her hair, laughing when she cried out in indignation and reached up to smooth it.

"I know. I'll miss you too."

Aryll's dream ended there. It usually ended with her getting back into bed, and waking up when her dream-self would have fallen asleep. She frowned, wondering why she had woken up. Judging by the light outside, it was still night.

She had that strange feeling people sometimes get when they're on the verge of discovering something, but can't quite grasp what it is yet.

Aryll buried her face in her pillow, and prayed for the morning and word from Tetra.

* * *

Tetra peered through her telescope at the wide sea surrounding the pirate ship. There was a small blot on the horizon, and bit to the north-west.

"Hey!" she yelled, motioning towards the land. It was Windfall, and the crew jumped for joy. They always got excited when a stop at Windfall was pending.

While the men eagerly fastened ropes and (in Niko's case) swabbed the desk excitedly, Tetra found her mind wandering to a day almost three years before, on a similar stop to Windfall...

It was the summer Tetra was fourteen, and they had docked at Windfall. Tetra had allowed the men to wander around the town for the afternoon, herself going to retrieve any mail the pirates might have received.

She had quirked an eyebrow at a girl standing beside the mailbox with what was, unmistakably, a cow.

The girl had brightened when she saw the pirate girl. "Ah! You must be Tetra!" she had exclaimed. But Tetra was wary.

Giving the girl a sidelong, suspicious glance, Tetra had asked, "What makes you say that?"

The girl's smile did not waver. "This!" she said, shoving a piece of paper into Tetra's face.

Tetra had taken what turned out to be an envelope addressed to her into her hands, noting that a rather smarmy footnote was attached to the front.

The footnote read:

Give this delivery to a girl named Tetra. She is short and has yellow hair, and will probably look at you weird. She will also probably make some sarcastic comments when you deliver the package, so don't take anything she says personally. Thanks again!

The writing had been Link's. The girl had informed her that she had been instructed to give Tetra Link's thank-you-for-helping-me-and-taking-care-of-my-sister gift, "by the Hero of Winds, _himself_, no less," the girl had added, bragging.

Tetra had then asked, dreading the answer a second later, "Well then, where is it?"

The girl giggled infuriatingly. "Him!" she pointed to the cow, waving around the hand holding its…leash…?

Tetra was not amused. "Oh, no flippin' way…"

"Oh yes way!" the girl had trilled, then tacking on, "Aren't you excited?"

"Terrified," Tetra had muttered before grabbing the cow's leash-thing and leading it away, happy to get away from the annoying villager, at least.

She then, once out of sight, ripped open her letter and read the aggravating greeting. In a letter dated the previous Winter Solstice, Link basically told her that he thought he owed a big 'thank you' to all the pirates, so he'd given them Fred the Cow, in hopes that they would all get big and strong with healthy bones…

Tetra had angrily crumpled up the note and thrown it into the sea, perturbed to have to take on another passenger. And it had been the first word from him in, what, two _years?_

Then Tetra's scowl had softened, as she realized, slowly, that Link had been sincere, and really had sent the cow as a thank you. He hadn't meant it as a joke at all. Tetra was suddenly sorry she'd tossed the letter.

Later that night, Tetra had seen the girl again. Realizing that Link's 'pet' had been entrusted to the town girl's care for over a year, Tetra felt compelled to ask her, "Why would you wait so long…just to give me..." she almost choked out, "...Fred?"

The girl had just shrugged, seeming to lose her mindless, girly attitude for a moment. "Because the hero asked me to."

It was that night that Tetra had realized that Link was out of her reach. The legend was so widespread across the Great Sea that even a ditsy girl living where most were considered the 'elite' respected the Hero of Winds. Link was far above her, and she knew she could never be on the same level as him.

Sure, she was a secret princess, ruling over a load of rubble at the bottom of the sea, but Link…

Why would he trifle with pirates? He was a hero. He could have any friends he wanted. Why choose her, out of them all?

She hadn't exactly been the nicest person to him, after all. He'd thanked them…maybe it was his way of tying off the whole affair. Maybe he was saying "goodbye, it was great, but not _really_ great."

That particularly disturbing thought, coming back to Tetra after all those years, snapped her out of her daydreaming and back to the present day where she and her men hadn't even set foot on Windfall yet. She stayed out of her nostalgia-induced haze long enough to climb off the boat and onto shore, where she dispatched her men for the evening.

Tetra ambled up to where the weirdo dancing man always was. She stood a little ways behind Tott, the freak in the white jumpsuit. She really didn't want him to try to talk to her…again. Tetra faced the Great Sea, putting disco dude out of her head, and reflected bitterly on her decision, on a night much like this one, to cut ties with Link.

She had resigned herself to no communication, thinking it would be better to just let go than to try and somehow get him back. He had turned down her offer to come with them after his quest was over…she should have realized then.

Now she thought maybe her choice had been the wrong one. If she'd kept contact with Link, she might know where he was now.

Tetra knew the only way she could help Link now was to face the one thing she hated above all others…

Townspeople.


	3. Outsiders on Outset

Following Blondie

Chapter Three: Outsiders on Outset

When Aryll awoke the next morning, she felt tired beyond belief. She could scarcely throw herself out of bed, much less get dressed and ready for the day.

Grandma confirmed she wasn't sick, though, so Aryll was eventually tugged out of bed by the aforementioned grandmother, who was a firm believer in 'early to bed, early to rise.'

As Aryll shuffled around in the sand, too exhausted to really pay much attention to the island kids, something caught her half-open eye.

A speck in the sky, growing larger with each passing second, was heading for the island. Aryll was filled with a sense of apprehension, knowing this could not be good.

She'd harbored a healthy fear of most birds ever since her kidnapping, and so she was extremely relieved to magnify the creature in her telescope and realize that the flying thing was not a bird at all, but a Rito.

Aryll put away her telescope and waited for the Rito to drop down to earth, thinking that it was probably only the postal service. Aryll laid her head down on the sand and closed her eyes, hoping to take a quick nap.

Just as she felt she was drifting off toward dreamland and memories of her missing brother, Aryll was startled awake by a pair of hands, softly shaking her by the shoulders.

Aryll opened lifted her eyelids to see absolutely blood-red, positively _glowing_ eyes staring straight into hers. She barely suppressed a gasp. The eyes were strangely unnerving.

Then the eyes moved away, and Aryll's vision could encompass the entire Rito belonging to the bright red circles. The Rito was female, with long brown hair and a harp that shone in the sunlight. Aryll squinted as light spots danced in front of her eyes when she accidentally stared at the instrument.

"Um…excuse me?" Aryll muttered, half-apologetically. She wasn't sure what she was apologizing for. It was a puzzling situation. And the fact that she couldn't help but gape at either the eyes or the harp was not helping.

The Rito nodded her head in a bow. "My name is Medli, and I come here to represent the Rito tribe."

Aryll, still dealing with the dawning comprehension that this was _not_ mail service, said, "I'm Aryll…um…how may I help you?" She smiled inwardly, proud she had remembered her manners. Grandma would be so proud.

Aryll wondered how the Rito girl could go so long without blinking, as Medli asked seriously, "I am here to see Link. Is he present?"

Aryll's eyes widened, as she felt what could have been wave of liquid ice washing over her, but was, in reality, a mounting suspicion that something was horribly, _horribly _wrong.

"W-well…no, he isn't. Um…why do you ask?" she questioned, trying to act as though nothing was wrong. It would be weird if she started getting all freaked out for apparently no reason in front of a visitor.

"There have been many storms for months now. We Rito find it extremely hard to navigate in such abysmal conditions. Your brother is the Wind Waker, and my people believe he can stop these twisters…if he is not causing them."

Aryll pondered on what Medli could mean by implying it might be Link's fault the weather was bad. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to decide whether or not she should get angry.

In the end, Aryll's loyalty to her family won out over etiquette.

"Now you look here you…bird-thing, you!" she shouted unexpectedly, "My big brother would _never_ make storms to hurt people! He's a good person, and you've got no right to come to our home and pretend this is all _his_ fault, because it's _not!"_

Neither of them spoke for few seconds after the outburst, Aryll staring fiercely ahead but finding herself loosing face as Medli's own remained calm and unfazed. Medli didn't look extremely offended as she said, smiling for the first time during her visit, "You know…I resent that bird-thing comment."

Aryll turned red and looked at her feet, her momentary bravery gone in the face of Medli's patronizing smile. "I don't care," she muttered.

"I didn't mean for it to sound that way. I'm sorry," Medli said. Aryll looked up.

Medli continued, "Link was on a mission for so long to protect you, Aryll, but I think you are doing a very good job of protecting _him_."

Aryll thought it felt kind of odd to have a stranger call her by her name, but didn't voice it, saying ashamedly, "Yeah, well…I don't think so. If I'd have done a better job he would be home safe. I shouldn't have let him go…I should have mailed the pirates…I should've…" A few tears slipped down the blonde girl's cheeks, and since Medli said nothing, Aryll continued.

"I let him leave…and…and I didn't even notice anything strange! Everyone else, they noticed the weather, but everything's been fine over here! I didn't even suspect anything! I can't believe it…I…I didn't even care! It was just like I didn't even care!" she sobbed out, having totally broken down into tears by that time.

Medli made a move like she wanted to go reassure the smaller girl, but stopped, realizing it was not her place. Instead, she asked, "So Link isn't here?"

Aryll, not trusting her voice, nodded silently.

"And you don't know where he is?"

Another nod.

"This is not good," the Rito muttered, as Aryll choked back a few sobs.

"Thank you for your time, Aryll. I will be on the lookout for your brother. Don't worry. He's bound to turn up sometime or other," Medli said, jumping into the air and flapping her wings, waving good-bye to Aryll before taking off for Dragon's Roost.

Back on shore, Aryll murmured to herself, "…Everyone says not to worry…but I just can't help it."

She looked to the sky, at Medli's retreating figure.

"Something bad is happening…"

* * *

When, later that afternoon, Aryll admitted Makar, the forest-vegetable-thing representing Forest Haven, to Outset Island, any shadow of a doubt in her mind that her brother was not in trouble was obliterated from her mind.

He, too, came calling about the horrific storms plaguing the Great Sea. Again Aryll was forced to admit to an outsider that their little island was missing its hero.

"Makar," Aryl began, having a thought, "I'm very worried about Link. First it was the pirates, then the Ritos, and now you… I need to get out there. I want to go find Link. Will you…come with me?"

Makar was not intimidating in the slightest, which was what lent Aryll the guts to ask. He also, obviously, was finding it difficult to fly anywhere without the wind on his side.

After all, he had told her the journey from Forest Haven had been three times as long as it should have been, and Aryll found new respect for Medli, who must have flown all the way from the north-east.

When Makar's face fell, Aryll quickly tried to tell him it was all right if he couldn't go with her, and that she was just asking, but he opened his mouth before her to propose an alternate solution.

"Actually, Aryll, I am too small. An off-breeze might render me useless to you. I would suggest a more…human companion."

Aryll began to panic, thinking Makar was going to tell the villagers about her plan.

"Oh, no no no! I can't ask anyone from the village…I don't want them to know I'm going."

"That's not what I'm telling you. I know someone who will be extremely helpful, but there is one drawback…"

"What?" Aryll asked.

"He is on an island far to the north, so we would have to sail all the way there. And also, well…I can't put it any other way…"

"Can't put what any other way?" the childlike curiosity spoke.

"Erm…well…he's dead." Makar said dejectedly.

"Dead?" Aryll was disbelieving. "Then, what am I going to do? How could a dead person possibly help me?"

"Let me explain," Makar pleaded. "He may be dead, but he is the old Wind Sage. I should be able to sort of…channel him."

"Channel?"

"I would switch places with him," Makar explained, "I would remain on Gale Isle in his place, and he could go with you. He is about your size, so he won't blow away. He won't be worried by the wind, either."

"Oh." Aryll said, at a loss. Then a thought occurred.

"Makar, what's his name?"

Makar looked to Aryll, knowing that as of that moment, the plan had been put into effect. He was resigning himself to an eleven-year-old's headstrong antics, and an indefinite stay in a tomb meant for someone else.

"Fado," he said…

"His name is Fado."


	4. World of White

Link makes his first appearance this chapter! …If you haven't been waiting for this, I don't know why you're in this fandom.

Following Blondie

Chapter Four: World of White

Aryll stood up shakily, holding her arms out to both sides.

"Are you s-sure this is s-safe?" Aryll questioned of the little Korok beside her. He was sitting quite comfortably in the very large leaf they were going to be using as a boat, while Aryll could hardly sit down in it and felt like any second it was going to cave in and sink.

"Sure," Makar replied. "Why not? Link used the Deku leaf to get around. This leaf should support our weight much like that one supported his."

Aryll was not convinced, as she teetered from side to side. "Uhh…th-this is going to sound really stupid, especially coming from someone who lives on an island, but…I can't swim."

Makar froze.

"You can't swim? At all?"

Aryll shook her head wordlessly.

"Oh…" Makar stared at Aryll. "That's a bit of a problem…for now, at least. If we can get to Gale Isle you'll be safe. Fado can probably make everything steady seas for you…I…" He looked at the ground, then back at Aryll. "I'm not…I can't do that."

Aryll gulped. "So…umm…where's Gale Isle, anyway?"

Makar sucked in an audible breath. "Northwest of Windfall."

Neither of them said anything. Aryll went white.

Then Makar spoke. "Are you sure want to do this?" he asked with a voice full of trepidation.

Aryll closed her eyes, thought of Link, and nodded.

* * *

"No, you useless idiot! He's blond! B-L-O-N-D! What part of that sounds like green?"

The man Tetra was screaming at shrugged nonchalantly. "Look, I haven't seen this kid, and no else has either. Give it up. No one remembers a kid they saw once a couple of years ago unless he had, like, horns sprouting out of his ears."

Tetra growled, mumbling, "Thanks for your time," angrily under her breath. Stupid townspeople.

She hopped off her chair and stomped out of the café. A couple of middle-aged ladies stared at her as she slammed the door and started down the street. Tetra didn't care. She'd drilled those two earlier, and they'd proven themselves to be filled with useless gossip, nothing more.

"Aargh!" she vented, "What does a person have to do to get some decent information around here?"

"Information?" said a voice directly to Tetra's left.

She turned around. Perched atop the Windfall mailbox was Quill, the Rito postman. Mentally thanking whatever deities had taken pity on her, Tetra wasted no time explaining what had happened.

"Link is missing." she said, blunt and to-the-point. "I'm asking around if anyone's seen him, but it's no use. He was last seen two years ago, on Outset…"

"I'm assuming you went there," Quill said.

"Of course," Tetra confirmed, "But it was really strange…his own sister didn't know anything about it. She thought he was with us. Also, I guess you've had to deal with this disgusting weather flying around delivering mail and all… Outset Island seems to be the only place in all of the Great Sea that has perfect weather."

Quill frowned. "That is strange, but perhaps you should not waste your time questioning plain folk any longer…you should seek out help from those beings that helped Link on his quest."

"Like who?" asked Tetra, who had never actually known about Link's adventures past rescuing his sister and defeating Ganondorf in the final battle.

"Do you remember the great treasure you believed to be held on Outset Island? Beyond that stone wall was Jabun, a water spirit who aided Link by giving him Nayru's Pearl. The Great Deku Tree and Valoo would also be ideal for questioning, as they gave him the other two pearls."

Tetra had only a fleeting regret that she had not retrieved the pearl before Link. She dispelled that thought quickly, reminding herself that while the pearl was jewelry, it also ended up being a magical device that was extremely important for her own survival.

"Jabun, though, you might have some trouble finding…he is at liberty to swim the entire ocean, after all. And while Valoo is situated primarily on Dragon's Roost, he takes to the air to explore from time to time. I am not sure even this weather would daunt him. Also, he only speaks Hyrulian, as does Jabun. I would suggest the Great Deku Tree. Not only is he firmly rooted in Forest Haven, but speaks your language quite fluently."

Tetra nodded. "Thanks, you've been a real help." She begrudgingly rummaged around in her pockets for some rupees. She pulled out a purple one.

"Here, take it," she said, holding the sparkling bit of money out to him.

Quill tilted his head to the side, as if considering the value of the jewel. "Gladly," he then said, reaching out a feathered arm and pocketing the rupee. He jumped into the air, then swooped off without even a backwards glance, heading due east.

Tetra scowled after him. "Huh," she murmured, "I always thought the good guys were supposed to be too noble to accept money."

* * *

Link walked through a thick, white fog. He felt an overwhelming sense of fury not his own. Something was wrong, something was out of place. Something had not gone according to plan.

Link felt a flash of familiarity tug at his heartstrings. The sense equated with the familiar feeling was, for him, happiness. Yet still anger flooded over him, infiltrating every crevice of his mind…and for the life of him he couldn't understand why he felt that way.

And the fog just kept getting thicker and thicker as he walked...until, eventually, it was like he was treading through piles and piles of feathers, then flour, and finally, glue.

It got to the point where he couldn't take even one more step. He struggled for a bit, then stilled. An indistinguishable figure approached him, and Link wondered absently why it wasn't getting trapped in the smog.

The dark blotch shifted a bit, and the feelings of anger subsided a bit…there was a new plan. A light began gathering before the blob.

Link watched, transfixed, as the light condensed into a ball and hurled itself at him. He didn't even look away. It smashed into him with the force of a charging horse, but Link only felt slightly winded, not hurt in the least.

He thought it a little odd that as he drifted off into a place of decreasing brightness, he was sure that he'd heard the slight reverberations of muffled laughter.

* * *

"What is this nonsense?" Tetra cried in frustration as she leaned over the edge of her ship. There really wasn't any need, as the thing she was peering at so intently was a dense fog that had settled over the sea.

"I can't imagine, Miss Tetra," said a large, bearded man at her right. "Fog isn't usually this thick this time of year…or time of day, for that matter."

"Yeah, well, it's only to be expected," Tetra snapped back, irritated. "The weather lately has been the most atrocious thing I've ever seen!"

She kicked a pulley, causing a rope to uncoil and slacken. A large beam came undone from its bindings and swung down at Tetra a moment later, and Gonzo, a burly, red-nosed pirate, had to dive on top of her to save the young captain from what could have been a fatal blow to the back of her head.

Tetra quickly grumbled for him to get off, as the beam went sailing harmlessly past, and then stalked off to her previous position leaning over the side of the ship.

The crew set about repairing the small amount of damage Tetra's fit had caused as she stared glumly out at the ocean for a few minutes.

Tetra's grip tightened and her hands, clamped on the edge of the ship, dug her nails into the wood until it hurt. Then she pushed herself toward the sea, unexpectedly screaming out, "You stupid idiot! WHERE DID YOU GO?"

She paused, as if to hear a nonexistent echo. Then the pirate captain quieted, not caring that her crew had all stopped what they were doing to witness the scene she'd just made.

A minute passed, and Tetra's gaze remained blank. She didn't even yell at the men to resume their stations. She wore the blank stare of helpless acceptance.

"Where did you go…?" she whispered to the vast, empty whiteness.

* * *

OH, LINK! WHERE, OH WHERE, COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE GONE? Har dee har har. I shall update if you shall all review. Then you, too, shall know what most of you have probably already guessed…


	5. Two Transports

Following Blondie

Chapter Five: Two Transports

The winds had picked up in the past few hours of sailing. Aryll and her small Korok companion were no longer enjoying placid seas. The waves had picked up, and the wind howled as their makeshift boat cut through the water.

"What's that white stuff up ahead?" Aryll had to raise her voice to scream back to Makar.

Makar leaned forward. "Fog, I suppose," he judged, trying to get a better look. "I don't like the feeling of this…"

Aryll frowned. "Me neither."

They sailed on in silence. Aryll then voiced something that had been bothering her.

"Makar, what's Fado like?" Aryll had been worried, from Makar's description of the demigod, that he would be some really scary, all-powerful monstrosity.

"Oh, he's all right, I guess," Makar said in an offhand kind of way, facing the oncoming fog, "I don't really know him. Or, well, at all. I saw him for a few seconds when I went with your brother to the Wind Temple. He played violin well enough."

Aryll gaped.

"Um…what?"

Makar turned to fully look at her, and Aryll only stared in shock before saying, "Wait a minute…so you know absolutely _nothing_ about this guy?"

Makar shifted uneasily. "That's right."

Aryll stood up in the small boat, and yelled, "WHAT? This is crazy! We've come all this way for someone who might not give a flying fig about the weather, or Link, or…or ANYTHING! How do you even know he'll help us? I must've been nuts to do this! We have no idea what we're do—AH!"

Standing up in the leaf had not been the most intelligent of choices, and so halfway through her rant Aryll toppled overboard into the oddly murky water. It would have been a comical situation, had Aryll been able to swim.

"Aryll!" Makar yelled, as he leaned over the side of the seacraft. He frantically scanned the dissipating bubbles, looking for the telltale blonde hair that was sure to emerge any second.

Then the wind picked up.

"AHAHAHAHA!"

Raucous laughter filled Makar's eardrums, seeming to come from everywhere at once. Whipping his head left and right, searching for the source of the cackling, he couldn't suppress a whimpered, "No…" as the leaf was jerked savagely forward. The small 'boat' was then forced into a vicious circle, at the center of which appeared to be a gigantic tornado.

Makar was torn from his leaf, and it floated gently to rest on the water. Desperately, he screamed for Aryll, praying she had somehow surfaced.

The tiny forest sprite was lifted into the air by powerful updrafts, until a billowing pink cloud came into sight, atop which rested what seemed to be a giant frog.

Makar realized in shock that this frog was the creature that had been laughing. He looked down and saw his leaf resting gently on the foamy waves…but no Aryll.

"Please!" he cried wildly, panicked, to the frog-thing, "Please help Aryll!"

The frog only laughed. "I don't know any Aryll! And why would I help YOU?"

Makar tried to yank himself away from the cyclone, but only ended up closer than he had been. "You don't understand! She'll drown! Please, help…us…"

Makar trailed off, staring at something behind the giant frog. The frog, wondering as to the cause of his victim's vacant stare, turned around a second too late.

He had only a glimpse of a small, drenched girl who reminded him for an instant of someone he couldn't quite remember before she let go of the…leaf…holding her aloft and dropping herself onto his head.

"Aargh! Get—off—!" the frog grunted, trying to grab the little girl who had crawled over his head and was trying to gouge out his eyes.

Finally, he grew tired of trying to grasp the slippery child and screamed, "FINE!" Then he dispelled the twister he had created.

The girl clinging to his head let go in surprise, tumbling off of him and into the open air.

Aryll stared ahead of her with wide eyes. For a second she was suspended in mid-air, trying to adjust to the feeling of really having _nothing_ supporting her. Then she fell.

The frog-deity watched as, likewise, the small forest creature that had been previously supported by wind alone was left to fly on his own. Fortunately for him, though, the little plant-man seemed able to handle the situation, projecting a propeller-like device and beginning to descend slowly to the sea.

The little girl was not so lucky. Her leaf had blown away in the struggle, and it appeared that she could not fly.

"Save her!" Makar yelled, feeling strangely guilty as he watched Aryll plummet to her imminent doom as he watched from his helpless, elevated state.

Makar watched in horror as, for a moment, the wind deity did not seem to even take notice of his plea. Instead the frog looked at Aryll in mild interest as she zoomed screamingly down to what was sure to kill her. No human girl could survive that fall.

Then, quite literally, a second before impact, the frog zipped down to the ocean surface to have Aryll land safely in his…cloud.

Makar let out an audible sigh, as he waited patiently for his own descent.

Aryll, meanwhile, lay immobile on the insubstantial platform that had rescued her. She breathed heavily, trying to get over the useless rush of adrenaline that had flooded her senses in the presence of certain death.

She sat up and gazed at the giant frog before her for a long, drawn-out moment, and wished that Makar would fall faster.

Aryll addressed the frog-thing the second Makar landed, thinking that maybe somehow there was strength in numbers, and that she just felt better facing the cloud-borne creature with someone on her side.

"Why did you save me?" she asked bemusedly, pushing dripping-wet hair out of her eyes and staring up at the giant, magenta frog.

The frog looked down at her and said simply, "I remembered who you reminded me of."

Aryll was silent, as was Makar. Neither needed to ask who the frog was talking about. Then the giant creature then added—

"I am Cyclos. I am master of these winds, and I want to know what you were doing in my territory."

Aryll stared down at the fluffy pink material of the cloud. She tried to touch it, but it felt like nothing more than air. It was strange.

"I'm Aryll. This is Makar." She pointed behind her to the Korok, who nodded in greeting. "We're trying to find my brother, Link. He disappeared over a year ago…have you seen him?" As an afterthought, she added, "Oh, and I'm sorry for trying to poke your eyes out. I thought you were trying to kill us."

Cyclos nodded solemnly and laughed a dry, humorless laugh. "Your brother actually tried the same thing when he came across me…only he used arrows. Those hurt a little more than fingers."

Aryll gulped. Something about Cyclos's manner was unsettling. He didn't sound friendly. Questions flashed through Aryll's mind at an alarming rate, each thought more troubling than the last. Was he out for revenge? Was he mad that Link had shot him? Did he think killing Aryll would get back at Link?

Link, you moron…

Aryll mentally slapped herself for that thought a moment after it crossed her mind. Her brother always acted for the greater good. He wouldn't have hurt anyone unless they deserved it. Which actually didn't make her feel any better about her current situation.

If it was just her, it would have been bad. But this…this was way worse. She was putting poor, innocent Makar at risk too, and it was all her fault. What was Makar getting out of all this? Nothing. Except a miserable stay in a tomb and _possibly_ navigable seas…

Cyclos, noticing her consternation, boomed at Aryll, "No, don't worry about it. I like you. I gave Link the Ballad of Gales for successfully attacking me…so what shall I give you?"

Aryll just stared, trying to abruptly force herself into the mindset that she _wasn't_ going to die a horrible death and take Makar with her.

"I know!" Cyclos exclaimed with a laugh, "I'll take you anywhere you want. Link had some limits. You can go absolutely anywhere, but it's only a one-time offer, so choose your destination wisely."

The first place that popped into Aryll's head was, obviously, Gale Isle. But another thought stopped her.

"Can you take me to Link?"

* * *

Tetra got off her ship and onto dry land not a moment too soon. She could have kissed the sandy beach of Dragon's Roost…only she didn't, because that would have been an awful example to set for her crew.

Instead, she gruffly motioned towards the top of the mountain, indicating they should all start marching. So they did.

It had been only reasonable to journey to Dragon's Roost first, Tetra mused as they trekked up the hill to the village. They were in charge of postal service, so they must have been able to get some sort of transportation in order. She could call in a favor for saving the Great Sea and all.

Granted, the Ritos didn't exactly know that she'd been involved in that whole escapade, but she'd mention Link's name and see where it got her…and if not, they _were_ pirates…

The bottom line was that Tetra was no way sailing all the way to Forest Haven in these conditions. And no way was she taking her men with her. They could stay…somewhere, she didn't care. But they couldn't come. This was personal, and plus, it was dangerous. She knew her men could take on tons of dumb, horded enemies, but supernaturally, they were totally defenseless. At least she had the Triforce of Wisdom on her side.

Tetra fiddled with the necklace idly as she and her men ascended the final steps to the Rito village and stepped inside.

Immediately upon entry, a Rito girl took notice of the crew. Tetra smirked. How could anyone _not_ notice a motley band of pirates standing in their doorway?

The girl ran up to her.

"Are you…Tetra?" she asked, earning a slightly surprised look from the pirate captain.

Tetra quickly resumed her menacing, smarmy expression in an instant, however, and returned, "What's it to you?"

The girl quirked an eyebrow and responded, "I'm Medli. I've been doing some research…" Tetra wondered briefly if this denoted the breaking-into of other peoples letters. There was nothing preventing the Ritos from reading everyone else's mail, after all, "You are looking for Link, am I correct?"

Tetra warily replied, "Yeah…"

Medli motioned over her shoulder, turning around. "Come with me."

Tetra stepped forward, and her crew did the same. She looked back at them.

"Not this time, you all go mill around…I dunno…talk to the locals, whatever. Just don't bother me."

She then turned and followed Medli down a short hallway to a door that looked like someone had intended to etch some sort of bird into the framework…and failed…miserably.

Medli opened the door and beckoned Tetra inside. It was obviously someone's bedroom, Tetra thought, looking around. Clearly, though, not Medli's. For one thing, there were weapons placed at strategic points throughout the room. Medli did not seem to be the fighter type. That much was evidenced by the harp slung onto her back. Unless she used it to smash people over the head with.

"This is Prince Komali's room," Medli said, as if reading Tetra's mind. "No one ever comes in here, so we can talk pretty safely in private. The spears are a bit much, but to each his own, I suppose."

Tetra, not one for small talk, then quipped, "You said something about me looking for Link…?"

Medli got serious very quickly. "Yes, you might be interested to know that his sister is doing exactly the same thing. Except she ran into some trouble and almost got herself killed. She's closer to finding him than you are, though. You see…" Medli paused at this point, looking apprehensive.

"You need two people to get where Link is. Aryll doesn't know this, but she's unwittingly set out to retrieve one of those people. The two I am referring to are the dead ancestors of myself and the Korok, Makar. Aryll has Makar with her. They're going to Gale Isle to exchange Makar for Fado, the wind god."

Tetra was finding it a little hard to keep up with Medli…who two people? Did Medli know where Link was? Why the hell did Aryll leave her island? …But she got the basic gist. And she didn't like where this was heading…

"On the other hand, Laruto, the earth god, the other being you need in order to rescue Link, is situated on Headstone Isle. In order for Laruto to be resurrected, I am the one who must be sacrificed."

Medli appeared finished, and leaned back against the wall. She fiddled with her harp and waited for Tetra's reaction. She half-expected the other girl to say that no, thanks, she could do this _without_ help.

Tetra, however, was stuck on the word 'rescue.'

"What do you mean, 'rescue' Link? What happened to him? You know! I know you do! You know were he is! Tell me!" It was all Tetra could do to _not_ beat the information out of Medli.

"Calm down," Medli said quickly, wondering if it was a good idea after all to be in a secluded room…with no witnesses.

"Where. Is. He." Tetra measured out each word carefully, narrowing her eyes into slits.

"I don't know." Medli admitted with a sigh, "But I know what I do from Zephos, a wind deity. He knows something, but he isn't telling. I don't know why. I got the impression from talking to him that he _wanted_ to tell me, but he…couldn't."

Tetra gazed sullenly at Medli, not satisfied with the information given to her. As Medli asked, "Well, do you want me to come with you? It's the only way," Tetra was certain, now more than ever, that Link's disappearance was not an accident.


	6. Fighting the Fog

**Following Blondie**

**Chapter Six: Fighting the Fog**

He was laughing.

Laughing at her.

Aryll stamped her foot on, well, mostly air. "Stop that!" she cried. Cyclos' laugh died down quickly and he turned to her. His laughter hadn't been the result of genuine amusement, it was more of a way for him to let the pouty little girl standing beside him know how ridiculous her request had been.

"The answer to your question is no," he replied. "I can't take you to a person, I can only—"

Aryll cut him off, "But you said, no limits!"

"I did say no limits. I said I would take you any place you wanted to go. However, I can only take you to a _place_, not a person. It wouldn't help you to be taken to your brother anyways. But, I appreciate your spunk. You're a clever little girl, but there aren't any loopholes in my offer."

He smiled at Aryll, and she scowled.

"What do you mean, 'it wouldn't help'?"

The wind deity blinked. He was silent for a moment, then, "Blondie, I meant what I said. You're sharp. I hope it helps you out. Right now, though, I have a lot to do. Places to go, people to terrorize. You know how it is. May I just remind you that this is a one-time only offer?"

Aryll stared intently at the froglike creature before acquiescing. "Fine, I'd like to go to Gale Isle, _please_." She emphasized the _please_ with a sarcastic little curtsy. Aryll was a child, but she wasn't stupid. This wind god was hiding something from her, and she wasn't going to be able to get it out of him. And that made her angry. She was sorely tempted to start poking Cyclos in the eyes again, but thought better of it. If nothing else, she need him to get to Gale Isle. At this point, with their leaf-boat in tatters, if Cyclos up and left Makar would be stranded and Aryll would be drowning.

"Don't give me that," Cyclos smirked, as he began to spin faster and faster. Aryll had no chance to speak, any words on her tongue were swallowed up into the tornado she felt lifting her up, up, towards Fado…

* * *

"All right boys, start unloading."

Tetra's ears were met with confused variations on 'What?' 'Why?' 'Are you sure?' and 'Do you need to lie down?'

"Yes. Start unloading, you're docking here indefinitely. Until further notice."

Gonzo started forward, "But, but, Miss Tetra…we haven't docked permanently in…well…I can't remember!"

Niko stepped forward and nudged Gonzo in the side. "That's because we never _have_ docked permanently!"

"Oh," Gonzo mumbled, then, turning to his captain, "Why then, Miss Tetra?" and, realizing something, he added, "And why did you say _we_ were docking, and not you? Where are you going?"

"There's something I have to do, Gonzo, and I can't take you all with me." She started to turn away, towards Medli, waiting a few paces back.

"Why not, Miss Tetra? We wouldn't get in the way…haven't we been a good crew all these years?"

Tetra's expression softened, and she turned back to the sailor.

"Of course you have. I couldn't ask for better." She sighed, "But this is something I have to do alone. The ship can't come with me, I don't even know if I'll make it myself."

"...I'll take good care of it, Miss."

Tetra smiled. "Thanks, I'll expect it to be fully functional when I return!" Then her face settled into a smirk as she addressed the whole crew, "All right men, I'm off—and if I come back and you're not all ready to set sail, heads will roll." Then she turned to follow Medli back up the mountain.

* * *

A dizzy Aryll found herself spinning back into consciousness on an unfamiliar patch of sand, with faintly obnoxious laughter ringing in her ears. She frowned, before remembering.

"Makar! Makar where are you?" worried for the tiny forest sprite, Aryll quickly turned around to search for him, and, in a fit of vertigo, tripped over her own feet.

"Ow…" She moaned from the ground. As she tried to shake off the head rush, she heard a small voice piping, "I'm over here, over here!"

Aryll quickly ran over to the source of the voice, which was very difficult, as the entire island was covered with a dense fog that she hadn't really noticed before. Blindly rushing forward, Aryll was only a little surprised when she tripped over a small, soft lump on the ground.

After letting out a startled "Oomph!" she collected herself, sat up and felt around for the lump. Upon locating it, she scooped the dazed Makar into her arms.

"Aryll…?" he muttered confusedly. He'd landed on his head and was a little dazed and disoriented. Aryll put him down beside her, right-side up, and he brushed himself off.

Why, she wondered, had Outset had perfect weather for so long? Aryll could not actually remember a single rainy, foggy, muggy, or otherwise unpleasant day in the entire time Link had been gone. It was so, so strange. And then, the moment she stepped onto another island, suddenly there was wind and fog and…

"AHHHHHH!!! Makar, run for cover!"

Hail.

* * *

Medli had led Tetra back into the room with all the spears. They were finalizing their plans. There wasn't much to plan. They had to get to Laruto, perform some sort of exchange, as Terta understood it, and take it from there. Tetra wasn't even sure exactly how Laruto was supposed to help her find Link yet.

Zephos, the wind deity, hadn't disclosed much more to Medli than the Rito girl had already explained. Tetra hated to have to act upon such hazy instructions and with only the vaguest of destinations, but she figured there was just no other way. This was one voyage she couldn't be difficult about.

Hopefully Zephos would pop up, or Laruto would prove to be of a slightly more distinctive value.

Medli led Tetra up to the top mountain.

"Link once walked this same path, you know," Medli remarked, as they passed into over a bridge within one of Dragon Roost's caverns.

"Oh?"

"He was coming to rescue me from Valoo, who we all thought had gone mad." Tetra snorted. She wasn't in the mood for Medli's girlish fantasies of Link being her hero and One True Love…

"He was really doing it for Prince Komali's pearl, probably, but you know…"

Here it comes, thought Tetra.

"I've always felt really grateful to him. It's easy to think you can imagine the gratitude someone like me feels in a village where everything had gone so wrong, and nothing helps. And even when I tried to make things better, when I saw how desperate the situation was and needed to do _something _to help, I couldn't. It seemed impossible. It's really only hopeless once you've tried to do something and failed."

Tetra stared silently at the ground, Medli was just close enough to her so that she wasn't lost in the fog. Tetra was relying on her to get them both to the top of the mountain safely.

"And you know, it's easy to watch heroes fail, and still hold out hope. All the best fighters can fail, but there can always be one more. But when you're the last one, and you attempt, and fail, that's when it's really hopeless."

Medli paused, and turned to Tetra. Taking both Tetra's hands, she drew them around her neck and flew a short distance over a crevasse it would have been too far to jump.

"And when you've known what it's like to not care about other people—I do, Ritos are mail-carriers, we see everything but can't get tangled into anything, or else we'd have to care about everything—you know other people don't care about you."

They had had reached the top of the mountain.

"But Link cared even though he came from a tiny island where there were never any problems. The only problem he ever had came from the outside. And he went outside to fight it, and he helped us all along the way."

Terta finally spoke. "I know what it's like to not care. I'm a pirate. I make a living out of not caring how others feel when I take things from them." She paused, realizing it didn't really matter that she couldn't really see anything beyond the mountain top, out at sea. She could see Medli's glowing eyes listening to her, and it was enough.

"He cared, and it was different, and we all needed it."

Medli smiled.

"Laruto lives in the far South, but I can carry you there. It won't be easy, not in this fog. And it's quite a distance. But I…well, we can do it."

"If you drop me, I can swim the rest of the way. Let's go."

* * *

It's been almost two years since I updated. I'm really hoping for feedback to jog my memory of even the major plot points...I haven't even played the game since I beat it about a year and a half ago.


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